First Muslim judge on way to Supreme Court?

Israel has had Christian Arab Supreme Court justices, but now a Muslim is being promoted by Bar Association reps. in selection commitee.

Mordechai Sones, 21/12/17 13:19

Kabub

Courts website

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, two Christian Arab judges have served in the Supreme Court: Judge Salim Jubran, who recently retired, and Judge George Karra, who was recently elected and still serves in the Supreme Court.

However, an Arab-Muslim judge in permanent appointment has yet to serve in the Supreme Court (Judge Abd al-Rahman Zuabi, a Muslim, served for a short period as a temporary appointee), and now the chances of such a scenario seem greater than ever.

According to a report Thursday morning in the Hebrew Yediot Ahronot, the Bar Association representatives in the Judicial Selection Committee have decided to promote the election to the Supreme Court of Tel Aviv District Court Judge Chaled Kabub, considered one of the most respected among district judges.

In coming weeks, the Judicial Selection Committee will convene and elect two Supreme Court justices to replace judges Danziger and Shoham who are retiring from the Supreme Court in 2018.

Justice Kabub was a candidate for the Supreme Court in the previous round of appointments, but in the end it was decided to appoint Judge George Karra.

Now, it seems that the Bar Association representatives in the Selection Committee have stepped back from the understanding that they would propose a lawyer from the private sector to replace Danziger, who also came from the private sector, in order to promote Kabub's candidacy.

According to the Bar Association representatives, the appointment of a Muslim judge to the Supreme Court will advance the principle of representing all sectors of Israeli society in the legal system, as the system itself believes should be the case.